GHSA state finals

[payn817]

Today and tomorrow, I just went for a short period to try and see what I'd come away with. Any suggestions for the future?

[JSPhoto]

Hey Payn817,

Well not bad, I'd skip the top one though, it doesn't really do much for me. The others I'd probably skip the official and just get the wrestlers. I tend to get faces up close or something like the attached here, but thats just my preferences.

JS

[SmartWombat]

To shoot a sport well you need to understand it, and know what the important moments are.
Also to comment on it sensibly !

I think you need tighter crops, and you need to concentrate on the action.
I wouldn't say as tight as John's necessarily, but most sport is about the people and so you need to be able to see them.

John's photos are great to show the wrestlers in the paper, where it's important to tie into the story of who won/lost with a clear image of that person.

[SmartWombat]

To shoot a sport well you need to understand it, and know what the important moments are.
Also to comment on it sensibly !

PJ asked me to explain this.
Since I am commenting on many things I know nothing about

I can't say from the sporting point if view if someone has captured the right moment in the action. I can make general comments about technical aspects. I can comment on composition. I can say if I think the image works, or if I like it.

But to say if it's the right moment that sums up the action, you have to know the sport.
It's easy with goals, touchdowns, celebrations, sideline arguments and winning (well duh!).

For example, the NHL photos that were taken during practice - I hadn't even thought about when they were taken and if that mattered.

These wrestling photos, I don't know if that 5th photo with the ref with his hand up is significant or not. I just don't understand it. Why is one wrestler on the floor, why is the other one behind him, don't they start from a standing position facing each other?
It could well be important but I have to leave that to someone who understands wrestling.

Basketball, I've heard about drawing fouls but I wouldn't know if you'd taken a photograph of it. If it was a key player's last foul and they were sidelined, then it could be a significant turning point in the match. But I wouldn't know that from looking at the photo. I suppose that's what captions are for.

Now motor racing on the other hand is a different thing
Oh and don't start me on about commentators

[JSPhoto]

Paul,

My two cents....
Like you there are some sports I don't get either....like Cricket (isn't that a bug? ), and like you, with those I don't understand I look at differently, from more of a technical way. Some I just skip commenting on if i don't get it.

With wrestling, yes, they do start in a neutral position. However once the match starts they start standing or on the mat depending on how they were when the ref blows the whistle or the clock times out. The shot wher the official is holding his hand up is just telling the wrestler who will be on top to wait while he lets the scoreers know what he wants scored or talking to a coach.

The two photos of mine, the one shows the pain of wrestling and the other the front wrestler is trying to get out of a hold and is really straing, while the wrestler behind him is acting as if it's a normal day at the office....needless to say he pinned the opponent shortly after this photo.

JS

[payn817]

Understandable. Wrestling seems confusing to me as far as scoring goes, so I'm with you there Paul. I shot these around 200 (I think), perhaps the 400 would be better. Thanks for the input, I am assuming since nothing was said about exposures, that part looks decent. I'll have to work on getting closer to the mat with a small fast lens, or at least on the floor, as I was way up in the stands for these.

Or, perhaps just leave the sports to you guys . I'll go back to my nature home now

[JSPhoto]

Understandable. Wrestling seems confusing to me as far as scoring goes, so I'm with you there Paul. I shot these around 200 (I think), perhaps the 400 would be better. Thanks for the input, I am assuming since nothing was said about exposures, that part looks decent. I'll have to work on getting closer to the mat with a small fast lens, or at least on the floor, as I was way up in the stands for these.

Or, perhaps just leave the sports to you guys . I'll go back to my nature home now

Don't Leave!!!! We like having you around here Payn. Sports is a good thing to shoot too, and it's not that much different than shooting nature, except your not waiting hours on end for your target or trudging through woods

Keep shooting sports, and keep shooting wrestling too, thats how you learn,

Hey, heres a good one....one school won a meet recently 84- -2...yeah, negative 2! Apparently after the last match the loser went off on a tirad about the refs and got two unsportsmanlike penalties and since his match was over the points came off the teams score which was zero to begin with...unreal!

JS

[payn817]

I didn't mean it like a whiny child...lol

I just really am not into sports, and it makes it difficult to shoot. I would rather trudge through the woods anyday... :thumbsup:

I will be working on it though, to round out my portfolio, and hopefully grab the next available position at the paper.

[JSPhoto]

I didn't mean it like a whiny child...lol

I just really am not into sports, and it makes it difficult to shoot. I would rather trudge through the woods anyday... :thumbsup:

I will be working on it though, to round out my portfolio, and hopefully grab the next available position at the paper.

Payne,
If you plan on trying to get a paper job you'll need to shoot more sports, as well as other things. Unfortunately nature photography won't get you a job at a paper. Most papers want someone who can do spot news and sports. You may be required to hit numerous events, sports and non-sports and you'll have to learn to shoot quick and run from event to event.
One night I hit 7 events in two hours, 5 basketball games, a swim meet and a wrestling match, all in all I drove 35 miles between those events as well. That was just on the west side of the county, the staff photog was off that night. I shot 72 frames total, then on the way home to send my photos in I had to stop at a wreck and take a couple shots.
You have to be able to switch gears at every turn, and it isn't as easy as it sounds to go from one sport to another as the timing is all different.
Whats really tough though is going from Indy where cars are going 220mph to track and field, then to baseball or softball (or both), the speeds are so different, and by the end of the day at the speedway your tired, either hot or cold depending on the weather and it's just tough to switch gears and get really quality shots you want. The only way to do it is keep practicing.

JS